Jesus Is Lord! (David Johnson)

by

David Johnson

Good morning, listeners. It is great to be together again as we look into the Word of God. The title for the lesson this morning is, “Jesus is Lord.” Jesus Christ is unique, one of a kind, without equal, unparalleled amongst mankind, without equivalence. This is a study that is really a worship of the Lord Jesus Christ. And certainly something we should witness to others concerning Jesus is Lord.
Jesus Christ himself made many unique claims. In the gospel of John chapter six and verse 35, for example, Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” Jesus Christ equals bread, that is the staple, the sustainer of life physically, but here especially spiritually in every way.

In the gospel of John chapter eight and verse 12 Jesus also said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” That is, because Jesus Christ equals the light, the light of truth, light for his true followers, light for the world to see and to seek him.

In the gospel of John chapter 10 and verse nine Jesus said, “I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved.” Jesus Christ equals he as the only way to God the Father, the only gate to heaven, the only entrance to salvation and eternal life with God. Jesus Christ is uniquely the only way to salvation, only through him.

In the gospel of John chapter 11 and verse 25 Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies.” And, therefore, Jesus Christ also equals the promise of being raised from the dead, the promise of eternal life with God. No resurrection or eternal life with God exists outside of Jesus Christ who is the unique only begotten Son of God. Actually, there are 23 I ams declared by Jesus Christ in the original Greek text of the gospel of John. Fantastic claims even regarding the I am, pointing to his divinity, his deity which Jesus Christ himself declared concerning his person.

In the gospel of John chapter eight and verse 23 and following we find these words. But he continued. “You are from below. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be. You will, indeed, die in your sins.”

This echoes, again, the Lord’s name as I am. That is, Jesus Christ is fully God as the I am Exodus chapter three and verse 14 regarding Yahweh. He is the I am. The name for the Lord God which points to his self existence, to his eternality meaning I am the one who is, will be forever more, his eternal existence, that is our Lord Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, fully and certainly deserving our daily worship, our witness, our work as we wait for his return as believers.

But besides Scripture and the Savior’s own words about himself, what outside or external, tangible evidence is there today for us to witness regarding the uniqueness, the one of a kind lordship, the deity of Jesus Christ. Well, for example, now for about 20 centuries later across the earth regardless of country or continent or culture or color, Jesus Christ universally in many ways is considered unique and worshipped by billions of professing Christians, billions. And his birth, the birth of Jesus, born in Bethlehem split the western calendar, between BC, before Christ and AD which is actually Latin for “the year of our Lord.” He split the western calendar. That is unique.
What other man or woman has these kinds of accolades and achievements? Jesus Christ never himself personally wrote Scripture, yet his words are given orally and still collected and recorded and recited and preserved and memorized and taught and put into song, even died for. That is unique. Jesus Christ never traveled beyond about 200 mile radius. Shortly after he was born his parents took him into Egypt. He was never formally educated. He was not wealthy. He only owned what he carried on his person. He was never married. He had no biological children and yet billions through the first century AD generation after generation on every continent still professed to follow him. That is unique, one of a kind. And his personal character, his morals, by his own claims was and is absolutely perfect. Jesus Christ was and is sinless. He never committed any sin of any kind by omission or commission in any way, shape or form, not in any evil thought, word or deed.
In the gospel of John chapter eight and verse 46 Jesus said, “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?” That is unique. Yet for all of Christ’s personal claims of perfection, he was also at the same time a self humbling person. For example, in Matthew chapter 11 verse 29 Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.”

In the gospel of John chapter 13 and verse five, speaking of Jesus we find these words. “He poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”

Imagine the Lord God, the Son of God doing the very most menial, even slave or servant work, washing feet, 24 feet, even the feet of Judas Iscariot, an example to each of us that we would strive to have humility and selfless service to others.

Paul wrote of Jesus, inspired of the Holy Spirit, some magnificent words in the Philippian letter chapter two beginning in verse five and following. And this should be our attitude as Paul wrote. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus who being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name. That is, at the name of Jesus every knee should bow on heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” Jesus Christ is both the Lord God and a suffering servant to all, unique, one of a kind, without equal, without equivalence amongst men.

Regarding Jesus’ words, others would say, “No man spake like this man,” in the King James Version. And regarding Jesus’ actions they were always high and mighty and even supernatural and yet his attitude remained lowly and meek and humble and long suffering. That is really unique amongst men. He is the Son of man. He became one of us in our humanity. Though full of humanity he became flesh. He is God in the flesh. But he is not only the Son of Man, one of us, he is the Son of God, one with God, part of the eternal godhead. From eternity past to eternity future, Jesus Christ has always been I am and is I am. In glory with God the Father before the cosmos was created. In fact, Jesus Christ is part of the godhead that created all that is discerned by our senses and even that which is not, like the angels. And yet he allowed himself to go to the grave for mankind. Believers even into the 21st century AD still go to the grave as martyrs for his name’s sake.

It has been said that there have been more martyrs for Christ and for the sake of his kingdom in the 20th century than all of the preceding centuries since Jesus Christ walked on this earth. And so there is still martyrdom for this Jesus, this same Jesus some 20 centuries later. And believers in Christ’s resurrection from the dead—that is, never to die again—is unique amongst men and, plus, his promise of the resurrection of every dead human being simply by his spoken Word, unique, one of a kind, without equivalence.

In the fourth century AD a Christian wrote of Christ, quote, “He was a child of Bethlehem and what contrast you embrace so humble yet no one has ever wielded such power. Never was there a king like you. Instead of royal isolation, you made yourself available to everyone. Instead of high security, you made yourself vulnerable to those who hated you,” end of quote.

Augustine, a fifth century Christian, wrote these words. Quote, “Christ is not valued at all unless he is valued above all,” end of quote. Because Jesus Christ is unique, one of a kind, without equivalence.

William Shakespeare in the 16th century, a professing Christian, wrote these words and I quote. “I commend my soul into the hands of God my creator hoping and assuredly believing through the merits of Jesus Christ my Savior to be made partaker of life everlasting,” end of quote.

And then there was the emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in the 18th century who wrote these words and I quote. “I marvel that whereas the ambitious dreams of myself, Caesar, Alexander the Great should have vanished into thin air, yet a Judean peasant, Jesus, should be able to stretch out his hands across the destinies of men and nations. I know men and I tell you Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person there is no possible comparison. Alexander the Great, Caesar, Charlemagne and myself founded empires, but upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded his empire upon love. And to this very day millions would die for him,” end of quote.

Today in the 21st century it all comes down personally and practically to you and me. Is Jesus Christ really unique, one of a kind? Have we made him Lord of our lives? It is a personal choice. It is an individual choice. It needs to be an intimate choice of genuine faith. Is Jesus Christ still our blessed hope? Does Jesus Christ still give us meaning and purpose in life? Jesus Christ, yes, he can still transform lives from the inside out and give us life to the full. Changed lives prove even today that Jesus Christ is unique and alive. A drunk can become a disciple. A corrupt person can become a Christian. Jesus Christ today deeply desires to be uniquely yours and my Lord and Savior believing that he is, in fact, the unique, one of a kind, only begotten Son of God, God in the flesh, God in bodily form.

Jesus Christ still humbly offers each and every individual his invitation to join his family to be our Savior, not by force, by choice. And so today won’t you receive Jesus Christ as you personal Savior and Lord to worship, to witness, to work, to wait until his return as we genuinely receive him through obedient faith?

David Johnson is minister of the Sellersburg Church of Christ, Indiana